blog 2 life

We all want to look young, right? We have all wondered how those celebrities manage to look 10 years younger than they actually are. Do they just have good genes and look young naturally? For most, the answer is no. The average celebrity uses ways to look younger that are incredibly time-consuming and expensive. How can the average person stay young looking too? Here are a few celebrity secrets for you, plus some tips on how you too can get younger-looking skin.

The ever-popular Botox

According to dermatologist Tina Alster of Washington, D.C., in the April 2007 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, “Botox remains the gold standard for treating crow’s lines and wrinkles.” Botox literally paralyzes the muscles beneath wrinkles. If used too much, its use can become obvious - witness the “unmovable forehead” jokes aimed at actresses including Joan Rivers, Halle Berry, and Nicole Kidman.

Botox runs $300-$500 per treated area, with results lasting three to six months.

Injectable fillers

To treat crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, and deep smile lines, celebrities inject hyaluronic-acid fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm or Juvederm Ultra Plus. Sounds painful to me.

This is a professionally-performed procedure with the cost running $600-$1,000/needle. Results can last up to six months (note the word “can”).

Chemical peels

Beyond face and eye lifts to remove bags and wrinkles lies the chemical peel. Celebrities remove several years off their faces in under an hour with a professional chemical peel. Chemical peels work by removing the damaged top layers of skin.

A mild, glycolic acid chemical peel runs $150-$300, however, similar results in one month can be achieved with MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel. On the average, it costs $68 for 30 daily applications.

The infamous laser

As we age, our collagen production slows down significantly, making our faces appear gaunt. Boosting collagen production is big business in Hollywood and more and more celebrities are turning to laser skin resurfacing to boost theirs. Lasers such as Fraxel - currently the most popular laser on the market - are used on the face to create microscopic tears deep within the skin, triggering the body to naturally produce more collagen to aid the healing process.

The cost is about $1,000/session. Three to five sessions are required, spaced about a month apart.

Stay out of the sun

The sun is the number one cause of prematurely aging skin. We all can avoid the sun by wearing hats and by wearing sunscreen every day, regardless of the weather.  

Depending on your favorite sunscreen, this one is way cheap in comparison!

Back to that collagen again

Creams and lotions that either have collagen in them or a retinoid-base (stimulates the production of collagen) can be used to keep fine lines from becoming wrinkles. Many dermatologists have stated that of all the antioxidants, peels, scrubs and injections available, the stimulation of skin-saving collagen is the best way to help your skin to look younger.   In summary, we see the anti-aging, look 10 years younger market is HUGE, and people are willing to spend exorbitantly on its products and procedures. For us average folks who want to look young, staying out of the sun and using a good collagen or retinoid-based cream is the sensible way to go. From a business perspective, people will always want to look young, making this market recession proof. And with an aging population, the “I want to look younger” demographic will continue to expand.

Shawn Patterson is a home business entrepreneur with extensive experience as a six-figure earner in Corporate America. He has partnered with a team of like-minded entrepreneurs strongly positioned within the anti-aging industry. To learn more about what he and his partners have in operation, visit his site now: ==> http://www.ProfitFromLookingYounger.com

Here’s a familiar story in every mortgage broker’s personal experience: How many times have you worked your fingers to the bone to get an appointment, met with the agent who promised to give you business, only to never hear from this individual again? Or maybe you do hear from this individual again, but he/she always has an excuse as to why the business is not forthcoming? It seems that most agents over-promise and under-deliver every bit as much as many mortgage brokers do. What do you do? What exactly is going on here? If you’ve participated in any of my free conference calls, then you know what my theory is in this situation. I will touch briefly on this, and then we will discuss a marketing strategy that will help you overcome this situation.

Let’s begin with the why behind the situation. When a realtor promises to give you business, how many potential outcomes are there? Either he will or he won’t? What can cause the agent to not send business? One answer is that he/she could be an agent who closes very little business and legitimately has nothing to give. If this is the case, then you need to ask yourself, why are you spending time with agents who have nothing to give in the first place?

The second answer is that the agent told you that business would be sent simply to get you off the phone or to get you out of his/her hair. Finally, the last possibility is that the realtor has had second thoughts or is hesitating to use you because the potential reward has not exceeded the risk of using an untested mortgage broker thus far. The last possibility is the one that most mortgage brokers run into time and again.

So now the question is, what do we do about this? Well, I had a marketing plan that was not only simple and cheap to implement, but it also allowed me to identify who was giving me legitimate excuses and who was blowing me off. The marketing plan was simple. I provided Just Listed and just sold postcards for my agents in addition to open house flyers customized with attached reports. On this surface this does not sound like much does it? Here is how it worked.

Every time I give an office presentation I log into the MLS (If you do not have MLS access, then you need to either get it, or partner with a title company who does have it.) and identify the agents who have deals in process. I would then download the agents’ photos to my desktop along with photos and information on the home I targeted. I would prepare a sample Just Listed or Just Sold postcard along with an open house flyer customized with each agents information and respective listing or sold property. I would bring these with me to the presentation and distribute to every agent as a sample of the services I can provide.

These cards and flyers cost me nothing since I prepare them in-house, and the only cost is the 3-4 dollars it cost to get the post cards cut at Kinko’s. As soon as I finished passing the materials out I would also point out the contact information included. The contact information was from agents who already participated in the program who were willing to give live testimonials describing the success of the program. The average agent who participated closed an additional 4-5 transactions per year because of these little cards. This may not seem like much, but let’s look at the numbers.

The average closing in North County of my vicinity is about 150-160,000. If the agent is getting full commission, then we are looking at 6-7%. Let’s take the smaller number of 6%. At $150,000 for an average transaction calculated at 6% the average agent can attribute $36,000 - $45,000 in additional income per year to these little cards. (NOTE: Please make certain that you comply with all RESPA laws.Remember, even paper and toner can be viewed as giving something of value in exchange for leads. Please take the time to review www.gogetloan.com and view the section “Respa Updates.” If your postcards are sharing advertising space 50/50, then the investment from both parties must be shared 50/50. If you provide the cards ie: toner, card-stock etc, then the agent is contributing by paying for postage.)

Once the agency takes its cut the agent can still enjoy an additional 2-3 thousand dollars per month in income for something I do automatically for them. The beauty of this program is that I do not offer it to just anyone. Once the agents are aware of the program, I will follow this touch point each week: Monday: By 9:30 A.M. every agent will get a phone call from me welcoming them to a new week full of possibilities. I will let the agent know that I am prepared to deliver any just listed or just sold postcards to the office for any new listings or sold properties. I will also offer open house flyers while I am at it. If the agent asks for Just Listed cards then I know there is obviously a new client involved. Since I know this, and the agent is aware that I know of this new client, the excuse of “I have no clients to give” is not going to cut it.

An average Monday would result in 20-25% of the agents on the list requesting some sort of marketing material from me. Wednesday: Every Wednesday a motivational email is sent out to all of my agents. This article had to meet several requirements. It had to be directly related to sales or real estate. It had to be personal, and it had to be interesting. No fluff will do here! Friday: On Friday the agents will get another call from me. While this may seem to be excessive from an outsider looking in it is not. See, many agents will now be preparing for open houses over the weekend, and broker opens for Monday and Tuesday.

Once again I will typically pick up several more orders for open house flyers and neighborhood reports at this time. Now that we know when and how to implement these touch points, let’s throw a few more details into the mix. When I contact these agents on the phone, what is happening? They are telling me about their new deals. Of course, as I am offering to provide these marketing materials I am also asking if I can provide a preapproval, or run a credit check on the client to make certain that we are not just spinning our wheels with an unqualified buyer or seller.

By letting the agents contact other realtors I work with early on for live testimonials I am also demonstrating that I understand that I need to provide real world evidence as to my abilities instead of just expecting the agent to risk credibility and paychecks by using an unknown entity. It’s one thing for me to tell the agent I’m good. It’s another thing entirely for a third party to say I’m good. If you want to get creative how about creating your own “testimonial business card?” Just a thought. Ok, so while you are making these calls and sending these emails every week you will begin to notice a pattern. Some agents will look forward to your calls and have their orders prepared in advance while others will habitually avoid you.

Just to make certain that the agent is avoiding you as opposed to running a conflicting schedule you will want to try and track this person down and schedule a better touch-point each week. If this still doesn’t work then you will know when it is time to move on. Those who are co-operating will be the agents you want to focus on. Of course, before beginning any of this process I want to remind you that it is important to laser focus your efforts on agents who are at least performing at a level that is profitable for you to invest your time and energy with. If you begin offering these services to just anyone, then you risk running yourself ragged.

Once you begin moving the relationships forward, you will want to place a pick 1 agent from each office that is progressing nicely. Explain to the agent that: “it takes plenty of my time and money to deliver the materials to your office each week. The time that I spend offering and delivering these valuable services could be spent marketing and advertising for myself. The fact that most of the agents I work with appreciate what I offer, and reciprocate in the form of clients and leads has allowed me to continue with these programs. I would find it immensely helpful if you could recommend just 1 additional agent in your office that has a similar “go getter” work ethic as you do. Could you perhaps introduce me and my services to this agent this week?”

This would allow me to consolidate the number of agents and offices I am working with and add additional valuable services to what you are already enjoying.” The idea of course is to use the existing relationship to leverage into another warm introduction. The benefit to the agent is that you will offer this service to someone else in the office as opposed to a competitor. The idea of helping agents with time consuming services such as postcards and flyers has been around for years. The way that you run the program, and introduce the service however, is what will determine if you are successful or if you will fail. Consistent follow-up is the name of the game, and this service will give you an excuse to follow up every single week.

Once you have established the relationship and the agent is consistent with orders, you will of course want to reduce the number of contacts per week. The last thing you want to do is become a nuisance. Once the business is flowing I recommend that you allow the agent to place orders via email or fax, and limit yourself to 1 phone call per week in regards to the requests. This will end our article for today, but I highly recommend that you follow-up by listening to the additional free training audio download on my site.

This free recorded call will explore this marketing strategy even deeper and give you some additional tips on how to use this strategy to its fullest extent. You can hear the call at www.averagejoelo.com. Click on “Free Review” and scroll halfway down the page to view the conference call. Enjoy the audio and I hope to hear from those of you who put the mortgage broker marketing training concepts into practice!

Training resources for loan officers. Come visit us at http://www.loanofficermarketinglab.com . Never miss another valuable article or training tip again. We can help you close more loans, all you have to do is stop by!

If your company comes under fire in the press it may seem like an emergency situation. Whether you deserve it or not, the negativity reflects badly on the company image and could discourage consumers from using your services in the future. There are some ways to combat bad PR however, three of which are suggested below.

Hope It All Dies Down

Sometimes bad press isn’t quite as bad as you think. Before you take any action you should consider the following points - has the bad press been widely syndicated? Is it being seen by your customers or potential customers? If the answer to these questions is ‘no’ then it might be that you don’t actually have to do anything. If no-one who matters is actually seeing the story, then it’s almost as if it doesn’t exist.

In cases like these, if you shoot off a reply you could end up making the situation worse by adding fuel to the flames. If your reply gets picked up then the original bad piece may get dragged along with it - making a small situation into a big one. A bad story about your company that floats on the outskirts of the news for a few weeks before sinking into oblivion doesn’t damage your reputation - just don’t poke it with a metaphorical stick or it might bite.

Create A Response To The Accusations

If the story has reached your customers and looks like doing some damage, a good way to counter is to compose your own response. Try not to get emotionally involved - this is unprofessional and you might say something you later regret. The media likes objective facts and statements, so they’re also more likely to take on something calm and to the point.

Stick to all the facts involved and address each negative point of the original bad PR piece. Explain why your company made mistakes (if they did) and how you’re going to put them right - give the customer a reason to trust you.

Circulate Some Good PR

PR stories can get picked up by powerful publications. What if you search for your company name on the internet and the bad story comes up top? When you’re faced with a situation like this you have to try and shift it off the front page and away from consumers’ eyes, and the best way to do this is to circulate some stories of your own.

Submit your positive pieces through press release newswires and, if they’re of a high quality and they go to the right places, you could knock your adversary off the front page of a search engine within days.

Whatever strategy you choose to counter bad PR stories, be prepared to answer some questions about the performance of your company. Customers may want to know how the issues raised in the bad press affects them, and your employees may feel unsure of their positions. Good communication is always the key, so prepare your answers and deliver them in a timely, reassuring manner.

Sylvia Kittens lives in Harrogate, England

Designed by Joe Farcus, the carnival conquest has 14 decks and is a good size for an older ship. In this review of the Carnival Conquest, I want to focus mostly on the amenities, the staff and the decor.

With interiors inspired by French Impressionist painters, the exciting new Carnival Conquest represents the Conquest class of Fun Ships. The ship’s revolutionary design means that 80 percent of the staterooms offer glorious ocean views; and of those, 80 percent have private balconies.

The first impressions of the Carnival Conquest is its grandeur. The ship is definitely grand and has everything you could want, including excellent food. I would recommend this cruise to any age group, as it had something for everyone. As with most Carnival ships, the overall appearance did lack the glamor and cleanliness compared to a Royal Caribbean or Princess but nothing beats Carnival’s value. In addition, most of Carnival’s ships are designed for fun rather than luxury and you can see the fun almost from the first night.

The facilities of the Carnival Conquest including the standard dining room and theater, as well as a reservations-only supper club. It will require an additional gratuity to dine in this venue but is well worth it for the additional quality of the food. I would certainly recommend the dining room for breakfast however, certainly better than the Lido deck fare.

If you want to travel large on a little budget then there is a special report here that you need to see.

http://www.vacationsave.info

The Aventura real estate market is brimming with attractive residential properties. The availability of houses for sale, coupled with the appeal of the place, has definitely convinced more and more people to settle in this part of Florida.

Aside from the abundant rental options, the actual purchase of an Aventura real estate property is also an excellent idea given that investors have the chance to choose from a wide array of selections. Then again, if you’re on the opposite side of fence — the seller instead of the homebuyer, you’ll certainly need to exert an effort to close a deal in such a cutthroat market.

Deciding To Get A Realtor

Getting a realtor to help you sell your home is not compulsory. You can certainly take care of everything if that’s how you want it to be. However, you may want to ask yourself a few questions first.

* Do you really know the actual market value of your Aventura real estate property?

* What type of advertising do you have in mind?

* Do you know how to qualify a prospective homebuyer?

* Do you actually have the time to be present at every showing?

* Are you cognizant of the legal obligations?

After you’ve answered the questions, can you truthfully say that you are geared up for the task? If not, then getting a realtor is the best way to carry out the sale of your Aventura real estate property. Realtors these days are also tech-savvy. They will try to make use of any media available in order to reach prospective homebuyers. In this way, you will have a wider selection of investors to choose from.

Getting a realtor will definitely provide you with extra time on your hands since you’ll not be required to attend each showing. Your realtor will act as your representative and meet up with potential buyers. Studies also reveal that properties sold through realtors are typically sold faster and at a higher rate compared to For Sale By Owner (FSBO) houses. Without a doubt, a realtor can help you do away with the excessive stress of selling your real estate property.

Preparing To Bag That Deal

Besides hiring a realtor, there are a few other things you can do to speed up the sale of your home. Here are some practical tips to help you sell your Aventura real estate property faster.

* Get rid of the clutter - As much as possible, pack up and hide any unnecessary objects that may serve as eyesores to potential buyers. Always aim for a minimalist look when preparing your house for a sale.

* Have your house fixed inside and out - You want your home to look spotless and fresh so as to attract buyers. If it means spending some money on paint touch-ups and repairs, then go ahead and make that necessary expenditure. Remember to make your home appear as appealing as possible both inside and out.

* De-personalize your house - Remove family pictures and other personal items on display. Doing so will make it easier for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. Consequently, your Aventura real estate property will sell faster this way.

http://miami-realestate.net — Aventura Real Estate

Vanessa A. Doctor from Jump2Top - SEO Company

If you’ve been considering a second home, perhaps a vacation cottage, Lake Hartwell, South Carolina homes should be on your short list of possibilities. Couples and young families are beginning to discover this southeastern jewel that offers a vast array of quality lifestyles in an astoundingly beautiful setting.

In a lake front home, you’ll enjoy waking up to birdsong and fresh air instead of the noise and pollution of the city. The pristine waters of the southeast’s largest man-made recreation lake await you with 962 miles of shoreline filled with beautiful sights, sounds and fun. Buying here means that you’ll have millions of acres and just as many opportunities to enjoy your favorite sport while making an important investment in your future. And if you have children Lake Hartwell is a dream come true that affords carefree days full of adventures and laughter.

Lake Hartwell not only offers fishing, water skiing and swimming but nearby Anderson has all the amenities of a big city in a smaller town setting. Its five school districts have an average SAT score is 975 among the city’s public and private schools. Four community centers offer a variety of programs and activities for all ages from children to seniors. The sports complex has a baseball field, eight tennis courts, three soccer fields, well-equipped playgrounds and nature trails. Anderson’s Civic Center hosts performances and community events and the town is rightfully proud of their library with its many activities geared towards children.

The parks department has many sports programs for children including tee ball, basketball, softball, baseball, hockey and swimming. Children in Lake Hartwell and Anderson never have a problem finding something fun to do although they may be a bit daunted at first with all the choices available!

The yearly Memorial Day weekend Hot Air Balloon festival brings visitors from all over the state, as do the annual Nike Classic and Thornberg classic golf tournaments. In fact, the area has a dozen beautifully maintained and challenging golf courses. If music is one of your hobbies, the Anderson Symphony Orchestra will be on your must-do list. You could even catch a concert by one of your favorite groups at the Civic Center or attend the theater in the performing arts center. You can wind up your day with dinner at a casual family restaurant or choose an elegant fine dining establishment.

You’ll be able to shop at Anderson Mall with its four major department stores and over ninety specialty shops, food court and movie theaters. Nearby are Tanger Outlet I and II and Commerce Factory Stores, full of all your favorite brand stores and unique specialty shops. If you want a big city atmosphere Atlanta and Charlotte are both less than two hours’ drive.

AnMed Health Center is the jewel in Anderson’s crown, though. This hospital is in the top five percent of hospitals nationwide regarding patient safety and clinical performance. The pediatric, orthopedic, geriatric, and women’s health and cardiac departments are considered the best in the southeastern United States.

A short distance from Lake Hartwell, you’ll find two million acres of national forests and parks to enjoy. Equestrian trails and stables, cycling and hiking paths and beautiful streams wind through forests and mountains for your enjoyment. Mountain bikers will find unique challenges awaiting them amongst all this beauty, as will rock climbers. If you crave more water sports, you can go white-water rafting or take a relaxing and romantic canoe excursion. Children will especially enjoy gem mining in the many streams and creeks.

You may want to spend the day on Lake Hartwell, departing from one of the 80 public boat launches or from your own dock. You can water ski on the seemingly endless expanse of water or bring out the jet skis. A day spent fishing can be incredibly relaxing; why not take a picnic lunch and spend the afternoon on one of the many lovely islands dotting the lake? Lake Hartwell is famous for its striped bass, some of which exceed fifty pounds! A day spent at home can be as much or more of an adventure than a visit to the state parks or nearby Anderson.

Also nearby is Mountain Bay Estates, a resort community by the Westminster Land Company. If you’d like to enjoy the advantages of a pastoral setting with all the amenities of a resort vacation, you’ll want to check out the beautiful homes in this family-oriented development.

Lake Hartwell homes can be charming, rugged or contemporary as you wish. Whether you’d like to custom build your own home or purchase one you fall in love with, Lake Hartwell realtors are there to guide you and help you get the perfect vacation home. You may want to live permanently in Lake Hartwell with all its advantages, amenities and wealth of recreational and educational resources.

HUD homes are foreclosure homes owned by the government as a result of repossession. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) insures certain home mortgages through the FHA. When an FHA-insured home’s mortgage is not paid, the property is foreclosed by the lender. HUD pays the lender for their lost money and takes ownership of the property. The foreclosed properties are then quickly resold. Investors often look for HUD homes for sale because they provide an excellent investment. Police officers and teachers get a further 50% off the cost of the listed HUD homes.

If you have the money or are pre-approved for a mortgage, you can buy HUD homes. Since these properties are so inexpensive, almost anyone with an income can buy them. Usually, buyers who will be using the home as a primary residence have first selection. These properties eventually become available to all interested buyers if no owner occupants are interested. If you or a relative work for HUD, you must receive written permission for buying HUD homes.

HUD homes for sale are bought through HUD-approved real estate agents. The real estate agent will assist you with bidding. The highest bid wins, and if no bids are acceptable, the property is bid on again. Settlement after a successful bid usually takes one to two months. If you cannot arrange financing for the HUD properties within this time, you need to pay to extend the deadline or you lose your deposit.

You need to inspect the HUD homes listing you are considering carefully as they are sold ‘as is’. When buying HUD homes, you may want to make it a condition of your bid that the agent’s commission is wavered.

HUD will not help you by providing you with a home loan. However, those buying HUD foreclosures do qualify for FHA loans, and even some private lenders will be willing to give you a loan for HUD houses. Since closing comes so quickly, you may wish to arrange financing before shopping for HUD homes for sale.

http://www.foreclosuredeals.com/hud_foreclosures.htm